MacGuffin
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- Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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I've just returned home from a visit to a gourmet restaurant here in town, run by an award-winning chef and I must say, that it was a very special experience. The whole dinner lasted three-and-a-half hours and consisted of 4 to 9 courses.
I must say I am impressed. Like most people, I heard a lot about the "art of cooking", watched those fancy chefs make their stuff on TV shows but in truth had no idea what it was like to really eat in a gourmet restaurant.
I was invited of course (wouldn't want to pay about 100 Euros per person in average) to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday. It was her idea and I made the reservation. And that was when I was surprised for the first time, because they asked about any allergies or food incompatiblenesses, so they could offer a specially designed menu.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were already expected at the door and welcomed very friendly by a beautiful waitress, who got us seated on a table for four, which could also have hosted 8 persons. The whole restaurant only has space for about 20 guests. It's very quiet and tasteful there but also cozy, with modern furniture and lighting.
Three waitresses were efficiently, restless and very friendly attending to the needs of the guests. There was no hint of snobbishness or fanciful behavior, everyone was cool and unconstrained, yet sophisticated. They explained everything willfully to us, from the way we had to read the menu and could combine the courses, to the choice of a good wine. Also each course was explained in detail to us, when it was served.
And it was a true revelation. The combination of tastes, different temperatures and textures within one course was interesting, surprising and very delicious. The term "flavour explosion" got a whole new meaning for me this evening.
The title of today's menu was "Pure North ...innovation of nature" and you could choose and combine four to nine courses. Price ranged from 73 Euros for the 4-couse menu to 116 Euros for the 9-course menu. Freshly made onion-bread and crispbread with two different sorts of delicious butter was served between courses.
The menu I chose consisted of the following:
1. a) "Granat Marshmallow": Goat cheese, peanut flips & bacon, b) Corn ice-cream with chickweed, mountain ash, mushrooms, chicken skin & fois gras (each one served on a soup spoon)
2. "Blackberry Field": Foie gras, camomile dyke-grass flavored popcorn-ice cream, basil, cress & poulard reduction
3. "Mixed Pickles": Pumpkin with essence of wild boar ham, rasped wheat grass, Greek yogurt and North Sea shrimps
4. North Sea grey mullet "Butterscotch" with bacon and green apple grilled in beechwood ember, with herbs
5. Rump Steak BBQ, grilled, with stockfish brandade a la escabeche-earth made from fried mustard corns, "sauce rockefeller"
6. Ice cream with wholewheat bread and cheese flavour, bacon and chickweed
Most will probably frown, because it all sounds strange. Believe me, it also sounded very strange to us but the flavors were overwhelming. The idea alone to make ice cream with bread and cheese flavor, is very weird but together it tastes like a frozen sandwich, that melts in your mouth.
This certainly isn't something you wanna have every day. I think it's ok to have it not more than once a year but I recommend everyone such an experience at least once in their lifetime. This is not eating, it is a lifestyle experience.
Portions were small of course, yet we left the restaurant with a full stomach and funny enough, the mood at our table got better and better throughout the evening. Sometimes food can even be magical.
I must say I am impressed. Like most people, I heard a lot about the "art of cooking", watched those fancy chefs make their stuff on TV shows but in truth had no idea what it was like to really eat in a gourmet restaurant.
I was invited of course (wouldn't want to pay about 100 Euros per person in average) to celebrate my mother's 70th birthday. It was her idea and I made the reservation. And that was when I was surprised for the first time, because they asked about any allergies or food incompatiblenesses, so they could offer a specially designed menu.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were already expected at the door and welcomed very friendly by a beautiful waitress, who got us seated on a table for four, which could also have hosted 8 persons. The whole restaurant only has space for about 20 guests. It's very quiet and tasteful there but also cozy, with modern furniture and lighting.
Three waitresses were efficiently, restless and very friendly attending to the needs of the guests. There was no hint of snobbishness or fanciful behavior, everyone was cool and unconstrained, yet sophisticated. They explained everything willfully to us, from the way we had to read the menu and could combine the courses, to the choice of a good wine. Also each course was explained in detail to us, when it was served.
And it was a true revelation. The combination of tastes, different temperatures and textures within one course was interesting, surprising and very delicious. The term "flavour explosion" got a whole new meaning for me this evening.
The title of today's menu was "Pure North ...innovation of nature" and you could choose and combine four to nine courses. Price ranged from 73 Euros for the 4-couse menu to 116 Euros for the 9-course menu. Freshly made onion-bread and crispbread with two different sorts of delicious butter was served between courses.
The menu I chose consisted of the following:
1. a) "Granat Marshmallow": Goat cheese, peanut flips & bacon, b) Corn ice-cream with chickweed, mountain ash, mushrooms, chicken skin & fois gras (each one served on a soup spoon)
2. "Blackberry Field": Foie gras, camomile dyke-grass flavored popcorn-ice cream, basil, cress & poulard reduction
3. "Mixed Pickles": Pumpkin with essence of wild boar ham, rasped wheat grass, Greek yogurt and North Sea shrimps
4. North Sea grey mullet "Butterscotch" with bacon and green apple grilled in beechwood ember, with herbs
5. Rump Steak BBQ, grilled, with stockfish brandade a la escabeche-earth made from fried mustard corns, "sauce rockefeller"
6. Ice cream with wholewheat bread and cheese flavour, bacon and chickweed
Most will probably frown, because it all sounds strange. Believe me, it also sounded very strange to us but the flavors were overwhelming. The idea alone to make ice cream with bread and cheese flavor, is very weird but together it tastes like a frozen sandwich, that melts in your mouth.
This certainly isn't something you wanna have every day. I think it's ok to have it not more than once a year but I recommend everyone such an experience at least once in their lifetime. This is not eating, it is a lifestyle experience.
Portions were small of course, yet we left the restaurant with a full stomach and funny enough, the mood at our table got better and better throughout the evening. Sometimes food can even be magical.
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